THE

ANVÁR-I SUHAILÍ

OR,

THE LIGHTS OF CANOPUS

BEING THE PERSIAN VERSION OF

THE FABLES OF PILPAY;

OR,

THE BOOK “KALÍLAH AND DAMNAH,”

RENDERED INTO PERSIAN BY HUSAIN VÁ’IZ U’L-KÁSHIFÍ:

LITERALLY TRANSLATED INTO PROSE AND VERSE,

EDWARD B. EASTWICK, F.R.S., F.S.A., M.R.A.S.,

MEMBER OF THE ASIATIC SOCIETIES OF PARIS AND BOMBAY; HONORARY MEMBER OF THE MADRAS LITERARY SOCIETY; ETC.; PROFESSOR OF ORIENTAL LANGUAGES, AND LIBRARIAN IN THE EAST-INDIA COLLEGE, HAILEYBURY; AND TRANSLATOR OF THE “GULISTÁN” “BÁGH O BAHÁR,” ETC.

Just as thou hearest now from Pahlaví,

‘Kalílah’ donned the Arab garb we see:

Till Nasar’s time, unchanged, it thus survived;

But when great Nasar in the world arrived,

Wise Abú’l Fazal, vazír of the State—

Storehouse of wit and peerless in debate—

Bade it appear clothed in the Persian tongue:

He gave the word, and lo! the task was done.

And thus transcribed, new wisdom breathed in it,

Its guiding precepts shone with added wit,

And its great Patron thus bequeathed to fame—

To sight and soul—the impress of his Name.

To Rúdakí the praises all belong;

The blind bard heard and clothed the tales in song;

’T was he that ranged the words at random flung,

Pierced the fair pearls and them together strung.

FIRDAUSI.

HERTFORD:

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY STEPHEN AUSTIN,

BOOKSELLER TO THE EAST-INDIA COLLEGE.

M. DCCC.LIV.